Free Public Records and Private Databases for Background Checks

Until a decade or so ago, PI's gathered information the old fashioned way: they
made numerous phone calls to contacts and associates; they went out looking for
answers; they asked questions; they dug through repositories of printed records.

Times have changed: the modern PI still asks a lot of questions. That phase of
the snoop business will probably never change. He, and more often she nowadays,
continue to rely on phone, fax, and Internet.

It is the computer and the Internet that has brought about the greatest
transformation to the way the pros now do their jobs. The proliferation of
computer databases has really changed things, including, and especially, the
methods of collecting, storing, and distribution of data. These technological
advances affect all of us - the way we live, how we work, and how business is
conducted.

There's one good thing the information age has brought with it: more than ever
before, we Americans have the lawful right to tap into huge repositories of
facts. We have the means, right at our fingertips, to access a veritable
treasure trove of practical, useful information.

With very few exceptions, every American is on file somewhere. Hundreds, if not
thousands, of repositories throughout the country and around the world have a
record of you - and numerous details about you.
Submit Our Extensive Background Check to see what is in public records about
you using our connection to a world network of database.

Credit Reports

Credit Bureaus gather credit data about individuals from a vast network of
retailers, businesses, and financial institutions. In exchange for this data,
they provide credit information to all their members. This information is also
sold or traded to one or more of the giant Commercial Credit Bureaus: Experian,
Equifax, and TransUnion.

These Commercial Credit Bureaus sell data to local credit bureaus, as well as
to a variety of Information Providers, who resell it to their clients, most of
whom are known as Information Professionals.

All involved in this "data chain" must agree to enforce the regulations of
the Fair Credit Reporting Act. Generally, the Act stipulates that credit
information is confidential and can only be released to those with whom you have
applied for credit and to those to whom you have given permission to review your
credit history.

Business Reports
If you are a member of a Business Credit Bureau, you may request a credit report
about any business, regardless of its size. Many information providers are
online with Dun & Bradstreet and will access this information for you - for a
fee. Our specially designed
Business Profile Investigation searches for all available records pertaining
to a business, including business assets, professional licenses, and principals.

Directory Industry

A major source of data has been created by the telephone industry - the same
people who publish your local phone directory. Seasoned Private Investigators
advise you to start any investigation with the phone directory. You might get
lucky right away.

Another resource is city criss-cross directories in which information is
collected and published for community use. Cris-cross directories list
neighbors, who may provide more complete and worthwhile information than
is available from any directory, records source, or database.

Note:Cris-cross directories of every city in the world (!) are
maintained at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C.

There are plenty of free public records available at the local level. You
will find local phone directories at the public library. These directories have
also been combined on database. This allows you to search each directory one at
a time, or search larger geographical areas with the help of Information
Providers. Some directory services may be contacted simply by dialing a (free)
800 or (pay-by-the-minute) 900 number. The Internet will prove to be an
excellent source of information and can be searched by city, state, or region.
Try all the big search engines. Try variations of your search submission.
As with ordinary phone directories, you may get a hit right away.

Information Status

Release of data is governed by
laws whose effects at the national, state, and county levels are diverse and
far-reaching. Information about you - about all of us - is classed either
open, semi-open, or closed. At the national level, the laws
are fairly consistent, but at the state and county levels, interpretation
governing the release of data varies from state to state, county to county.

Open Records

Open records are records open to public scrutiny. You have a broad right of
access - without discrimination - to government information. Most important, you
do not have to prove a need to know or furnish a reason why
you seek certain information. And, once you have it, you are free to use it and
disseminate it any why you see fit. You can even sell it, as many do.

Public records are gathered and cross-referenced by an army of database
operators. The information is combined, sold, and traded to other database
operators, and ultimately sold to end-users.

Most records, except those covered by privacy acts, are public or "open"
records.

Semi-open Records

For a number of reasons, access to semi-open records is limited. Legal
dictates, state statutes, and business policies may limit access. Financial
reports, credit reports, medical records, and employment information are all
considered semi-open records.

Closed Records

Closed records are maintained by the federal government. Closed records can be
opened only by court order and are not subject to The Freedom of Information
Act.

Once you have determined which records are public, which are private, which are
open, semi-closed, and closed, and which state and local laws apply to you - you
are ready to begin your information quest.

These new job titles have carved an impressive notch in our daily language,
especially our business language. Here are some terms you should know:

State Repository

Records of a similar nature are stored on microfilm, microfiche, computer
database, and/or on paper. State capitals are repositories of local, county, and
state records. Credit bureaus are repositories of credit information. The US
Postal Service is a repository of change-of-address information.

Records Distributors

These companies have access to many information repositories. They disseminate
this data in high volume to Information Providers. Many of these repository
databases are highly specialized and complex, such as the database operated by
the US Postal Service.

Value Added Information Resellers (VAIR)

Information Providers are on-line with Information Distributors, who can locate
and call up data almost instantaneously. "Value" is added by combining related
data from other searches, then reselling that data in single units or
combination packages at a profit.

A VAIR may conduct a social search using a SSN by requesting reports from all
three major credit bureaus.

A VAIR can run a state driver license search and a national change-of-address
search to locate an individual.

These are people who gather data for a client. They are called Information
Professionals. The insurance, legal, financial, real estate and employment
industries seek out the services of Information Professionals who extract the
details from a variety of sources, from the library, from public records, from
interviews.

Information Retriever is the job title assigned to individuals who retrieve and
deliver specific records and/or data.

Information Professionals often have access to data directly from the
distributor, especially if their volume warrants the expense. (If you are
considering a career as a Professional Investigator or Information Provider,
check out these huge database systems.) Small users and single unit purchasers
will employ the services of VAIRS - Information Providers.

For the nonprofessional, VAIR'S offer added value. They prepare their customer's
requests in the proper way and know how to interpret the information received.
Also, they generally know what information they must access and what the
information on the report really means. Some records contain complex codes. The
assistance offered by a professional will help you to derive more useful data
from the reports you receive. A reputable professional will most likely be
familiar with the many laws that regulate the release of information.

There are a variety of ways to access and receive data from databases. Requests
can be made by mail, phone, fax, or email.

We've listed a few of the large national databases. Even though you probably
won't be accessing them directly, it is helpful to know who they are and what
data they furnish.

Business Public Records
Databases

Ninety percent of what you want to know has probably already been researched -
especially in the corporate sector. Many companies specialize in business news
and related public records, providing information relating to mergers and
acquisitions - legal and financial, company and industry - plus competitive
intelligence information. The services and information these companies offer
might provide important data to flesh out business background investigations.

Investigative
Professionals Background Checks
Our Search Experts tap connections to a far-reaching network of massive
databases containing more than four billion records to run background checks and
criminal records reports. Our staff will immediately go to work for you, to
quickly return real, meaningful results. Search results are regularly returned
within hours.
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